CONTROLS AND MOVES:

*Note: Things like Yoshi and the two extra pump nozzles will open up automatically as you progress through the game. We are actually not sure exactly what triggers the nozzles in Dolphic Town...it seems to be multiple factors. Just keep getting Shines, especially in the earlier levels, and they will eventually open up. Yoshi will become available after you beat Story Four of Pinna Park. Once you have the required Shine(s), a cut-scene will automatically take place when you return to town. Water Mario will take off with whatever item you’re about to unlock, and you just have to chase and spray him as usual. Then you can save and the item he was carrying will be permanently enabled. This note will be repeated elsewhere in the guide to make sure everyone sees it.

This section will cover all of Mario's moves, from the most basic jump to the crazy hidden techniques we've picked up from experimentation. Some of these moves are probably undocumented, but we can't tell which ones since the manual and in-game instructions are in Japanese.

Walk/Run - Just move the control stick. The harder you press, the faster Mario goes. Note that some parts of the game are easier if you learn to tip-toe by pressing the stick very softly.

Jump - Press A. The longer you hold the button, the higher Mario jumps.

Double Jump - Press A just as Mario touches the ground from another jump. The Double Jump goes even higher and farther.

Triple Jump - Press A just as Mario touches the ground after a Double Jump. Mario will do flips in the air this time and go even higher and farther than before. If you try to do a fourth jump after a Triple Jump, it will just reset back to the normal jump. In other words, there is no Quadruple Jump.

Spin Jump - Quickly spin the control stick in a full circle (either direction) and press A. The Spin Jump is approximately as high as a Triple Jump, but it comes down much more slowly and doesn't require a running start. The downside is that Mario is fairly hard to control during a Spin Jump, so you may not always lift off in the direction you wanted to. A couple of Spin Jumps can clean sludge off Mario if he's gotten messy.

U-Turn Jump - Press the control stick in one direction, then quickly press it to the opposite direction and press A. The U-Turn Jump has about the same height as the Spin Jump, although Mario will descend normally. Because it can be done in a small space and is highly controlled, much moreso than the Spin Jump, the U-Turn Jump is one of the most useful moves in the game. You should master it early on if you plan to ever reach the more advanced areas of Mario's new world.

Wall Jump - Jump towards a wall until Mario starts sliding down it, then press A. The Wall Jump is usually required several times in a row, so practice getting your rhythm and you can get to all kinds of places very quickly with it. Note that Mario will always Wall Jump in the opposite direction of the wall he jumped from...unless you add some hover, it's practically impossible to wall jump between two perpendicular walls.

Butt Stomp - Press L until it clicks while in the air. The Butt Stomp can be used as an attack or to break crates, activate switches, etc. If you Butt Stomp for several seconds (usually after a Super Jump), the effect color will change to orange/pink and you can break even harder materials. The Butt Stomp also activates gates within horizontal fences; after the Butt Stomp is complete, Mario will be hanging on the fence's underside.

Grab - Press B while next to an object Mario can grab. If it's a large object, like a monster's tail, keep holding B and use the control stick to pull on the object; when you let off B, Mario will release. If it's a small object, like fruit or a bomb, Mario will keep holding it after only a tap.

Throw - Press B while holding a small object. Throw distance depends on your momentum; throwing from a running jump will get the best distance. If you press B while standing still, Mario will set the item down gently.

Map - Press Z. The map contains some info about the island You can move the cursor with the control stick and press A to click on different parts of the map for more info. Clicking on the Shine on the right side will show you a chart of how many Shines you have collected in each section of the game. Press Z again to exit the map.

Hang/Sidle - Grab onto a ledge, then press A to climb up, B to let go, or left or right to sidle. If you're standing on a platform and want to grab onto its edge, walk over very slowly and Mario will automatically grab on when you fall. Sidling is useful for reaching areas with a gap too small for Mario to fit through normally.

Dive - Run and then press B, or jump and press B. The dive is a very fast move that can be very useful for crossing a large distance if you're in a hurry. It can also be applied to the top of a big jump to cover a big lateral distance. Some enemies are susceptible to the Dive and some are not, so experiment a little before you try using it as an attack.

Slide - Dive onto a slippery surface. The slide is a fast way to get around, but it's fairly hard to control and requires some slippery surface, such as non-hazardous sludge or shallow water. If you spray water in front of Mario, you can dive onto it and slide anywhere, anytime you want. Just keep holding up while you steer. If you have room to build up speed, this move can actually be faster than the Belly Hop, and it is arguably easier to turn with. Thanks to ml580fl for the extra info on this move.

Belly Hop - Tap B rapidly while Sliding. This is one of the fastest ways for Mario to get around, and it doesn't require any special surface. Just do a Dive so that Mario is on his belly, and then keep tapping B. Now you can slide all over the place at a great speed! Best used on straight courses, since the turning radius is pretty bad.

Swim - Tap A or B while in deep water. Pressing B will make Mario dive further down with each stroke; pressing A will make him swim forward and upward. Both buttons seem to offer the same forward momentum. If Mario is at the water's surface, pressing A will just make him go forward. To jump out of water, let off the control stick completely and then press A. The jump will bring Mario out of the water and also forward just a little. Note that Mario has an air meter (looks just like the life meter but is blue) that will slowly decrease while he is underwater; grabbing coins will refill the meter by one segment each.

Turbo Swim - Hold R in the hover mode and tap A while on the water's surface. Combining hover with swimming will let you travel over water about twice as fast as normal swimming. You may have to let off R and then re-press it occasionally to keep it going, but the pump will automatically fill up as you go.

Change Pump Mode - Tap X. You can only have two pump nozzles at a time. Mario starts with the spray nozzle and the hover nozzle. When he gets either the rocket nozzle or the propeller nozzle, it will replace hover until he picks up the hover nozzle again from a blue box or until he exits the level. Whenever you ride Yoshi or enter one of the main levels, the nozzles will be reset to spray and hover. Sub-levels, such as the obstacle courses within main levels, will allow you to retain whatever nozzles you had upon entering.

Refill Water Pump - Press R while in deep water. Mario must be standing in at least waist-high water in order to refill. You can also refill by walking under a stream of water, although they are pretty rare. Water bottle powerups are even rarer, sometimes found during long boss fights in which there is no standing pool of water to replenish your supply.

Spray Water - Hold R while in spray mode. The harder you press, the farther the spray will go. If you press R without the click, you can run and jump while spraying. If you press R down to the click, you can stand in one place and aim the spray in any direction via the control stick.

Spin Spray - Spin the control stick in a full circle, then press R in spray mode. This is a nifty little move that can clear out large areas of sludge quickly and with little water. The timing is a bit tricky, but once the spin starts you'll have about two seconds during which you can move around and cover even more area with the spray. This move can also be done in the air, after you’ve already jumped.

Spin Jump Spray - Spin the control stick in a full circle, press A, then press R in spray mode. Covers more area than the Spin Spray, but is more difficult to pull off and provides a more sporadic spray. You can also do this move while using the propeller nozzle for a very long, high jump and lots of water coverage.

Back Flip - Press R until it clicks while in spray mode, then press A. The back flip sends Mario almost straight up in the air and a little backwards, with approximately the same height as a U-turn or spin jump. You cannot use it while running or switch to hover in mid-air, but you can jump and then use Back Flip in mid-air for extra height. It also creates a brief, wide spray of water that looks cool and takes out a nice chunk of sludge, especially if you Back Flip from a jump.

Hover - Press R in hover mode. Even with no control stick input, the hover will carry Mario forward slowly while also increasing his altitude. Best used in conjuction with any of the jumps listed above. Regardless of your water supplies, Mario can only hover for about five seconds; the hover will become available again as soon as he touches the ground. Hover is best used to cover very large gaps, but it can add a small amount of height to a jump if used properly. Note that hover use will use up water about twice as fast as the spray mode. Hover has no effect underwater, and it cannot be used if Mario is on his back or stomach. If hover is replaced by another nozzle, you can get it back from a blue box.

Super Jump - Hold R until the meter fills up in rocket mode. The harder you press the trigger, the faster the meter will fill up. This move will send Mario extremely high into the air. Learning to make slight adjustments on the way down is one of the game's most demanding and important skills. You can go even higher by timing the Super Jump so that the meter fills up at the top of a regular jump, or if you're an overachiever, a special jump like Triple or U-Turn. The rocket nozzle is found in red boxes and consumes a large amount of water for each use. Mario cannot Super Jump underwater or from the water's surface, but he can charge up the meter and jump just before it fills to effectively Super Jump out of the water.

Jet - Hold R until the meter fills up in propeller mode. The harder you press the trigger, the faster the meter will fill up. This move will propel Mario forward at high speed. It can be used over either land or water, but your water supply will be used up very quickly while on land. (It refills constantly and automatically while over water.) Can be used to break open certain barriers. The propeller nozzle is found in gray boxes, and it is the only pump mode that can be used underwater; using it as such looks very cool but doesn't seem to serve any practical purpose. Keep an eye on your air meter if you're going to try it.

Cable Techniques - Jump onto a cable. From there you can press up or down to move along the cable, left or right to turn to the side (you can't move until you turn back in either cable direction). Press A to jump, then repeat as Mario lands to gain even more height on the second jump. Press B to hang down on the cable, and then press in either cable direction to sidle. From the hanging position, press A to climb back onto the cable or B to let go and fall.

Cable Swing - Hang onto a cable, then press R while in spray mode. Use this move briefly and repeatedly to rock back and forth on a cable until Mario starts to go completely around; then hold R to start spinning around the cable in a blur, and press B to let go and fly off over a great distance. Very fun but not particularly useful.

Punch - Press B while climbing on a vertical fence. Activates gates within the fencing and also serves as an attack against enemies on the other side of the fence. Also activates the moving fence walls in Monte Village (jump off quickly after the wall stops moving, as it will fall!).

Kick - Press A while hanging from a horizontal fence. Activates gates within the fencing and also serves as an attack against enemies on top of the fence.

Dismount Fence - Press A to jump off or B to just drop. Both can be useful depending on the situation and fence structure.

First-Person View: Press Y. Mario cannot move while in this view, but he will continue moving if he already had momentum before you pressed Y. While in First-Person View, the control stick will move the view around in 360 degrees and to a limited vertical range. The only moves Mario can use while in this view are the water pack functions with R. First-Person View is mainly useful for surveying an area and also for precision aiming with the spray nozzle. Press Y or B to return to normal third-person view.

Pause - Press Start. From this menu you can Resume, Save, or Exit (if you're inside one of the main levels). You can return to the game by selecting Resume with A, by canceling with B, or by simply pressing Start again.

Camera Controls - Move the C-stick while in normal third-person view. Pressing left or right will swivel the camera around Mario in 360 degrees unless there is some obstruction. Pressing down will zoom out and also raise the camera above Mario. Pressing up will zoom in on Mario and bring the camera down to his level. If you are hanging from a horizontal fence, pressing down will zoom out and down, while pressing up will zoom in and up. The camera requires almost constant manipulation in Super Mario Sunshine, so you'd better master its controls early on. Often you'll need to swivel, zoom, or both, right in the midst of a jump or a battle. If you let off the C-stick, the camera will slowly swivel around until it is behind Mario.

Re-Center Camera - Click the L trigger while Mario is on the ground. Very useful if the camera ever gets stuck, or if you want to re-center quickly without moving your right thumb to the C-stick.

YOSHI CONTROLS:

Moving and manipulating the camera are the same while riding Yoshi, except that Yoshi has better traction than Mario and can turn more quickly. Remember that your pump nozzles will be reset to spray and hover whenever you ride Yoshi.

Tongue - Press B. Yoshi's tongue can be used to eat enemies or fruit. It homes in somewhat as long as you're facing in more or less the right direction. To eat fruit right off a tree, jump up before using the tongue. Eating enemies doesn't serve any special purpose, although Yoshi can eat some enemies that are otherwise invincible, and eating is an especially quick way to get items from birds. Using the tongue is also the only way to get items from butterflies. Eating enemies will not refill Yoshi's juice meter, but fruit will. You can use the tongue and spray juice at the same time.

Jumping - Same as with Mario, except Yoshi cannot perform the U-Turn jump (you'll have to use the Spin Jump in tight spaces) and the Triple Jump does not flip. Holding A during any jump with Yoshi will make him struggle through the air for a little extra height and distance. Yoshi can also perform the Butt Stomp just like normal.

Spray Juice - Press R. This move works exactly like Mario's spray nozzle, except that it will consume Yoshi's juice meter very slowly. Yoshi's juice spray will dissolve the squiggly yellow stuff that blocks certain pipes and other entrances, and it will turn enemies into hovering platforms for several seconds. The platforms behave differently depending on what color Yoshi is; see below for more details on that. Yoshi can also use the Spin Spray, Spin Jump Spray, and Back Flip Spray just like Mario, although he won’t actually flip during the Back Flip. You can use the tongue and spray juice at the same time.

Dismount - Press X. This move will shoot Mario off Yoshi, so it can be used at the top of jumps for a little extra boost. Yoshi will stick around until his juice meter runs out, so you can hop right back on after dismounting.

Be careful around any body of water, because Yoshi will dissolve in any non-shallow water. He also dissolves when his juice meter runs out. You can always refill the juice meter by eating fruit. Note that the juice meter depletes constantly, not just when you are spraying juice.

The fruit Yoshi eats determines his color. Yellow and Orange Yoshi juice turns enemies into stationary platforms. Pink juice makes platforms that slowly rise straight up...WAY UP. Purple juice makes platforms that move horizontally in the direction the enemy was last facing. No, you can't have a green Yoshi, although he does turn green for a few seconds right before dissolving of hunger.

STORY TITLE TRANSLATIONS:

A reader named Toby Normoyle managed to translate all the story names, so if you think this info might help you get a Shine without cheating with the walkthrough, or if you’re just interested, here they are!

Bianco Hills

1. Open the way to the Giant Windmill!

2. Defeat the Boss Pakkun! (The big piranha plant.)

3. The Secret in the Cave Atop the Cliff

4. The Red Coins in Bianco Village

5. Boss Pakkun's Counterattack (Big piranha plant again.)

6. The Secret of the Polluted Lake

7. Chase Fake Mario!

8. The Red Coins of the Lake

Ricco Harbor

1. The Boss Gessouh in the Containers (The big squid.)

2. GO! GO! Squid Surfing

3. The Shine in the Giant Cage

4. The Secret of Ricco Tower

5. The Resurrection of Boss Gessouh (Big squid again.)

6. The Aquatic Red Coins

7. Fake Mario Again

8. Yoshi's Great Fruit Operation (“Operation” is used in the military sense.)

Mamma Beach (Oddly enough, the Japanese is “Ma-n-ma Beach”.)

*Note: This level is called Gelato Beach in the US version of Super Mario Sunshine.

1. The Mysterious Leaf Bud and the Castle of Sand

2. Stomp on the Wobbly Mirrors!!

3. Running Out of Control!! Boss Hana-tyan

4. The Birth of the Great Sand Bird

5. Monteman Race! To the Top of the Hill!

6. The Red Coins in the Sea of Coral

7. I've Found You! Fake Mario!

8. Watermelon Festival: Monster Watermelon Contest!

Pinna Park

1. The Entrance of Mecca Koopa

2. The Secret in the Cannon

3. The Red Coins on the Pirate Ships

4. Save the Withered Sunflowers!

5. Stop the Runaway Ferris Wheel!

6. The Secret of the Yoshi-Go-Round

7. The Park's Fake Mario

8. Popping Balloons on the Roller Coaster

Sirena Beach

1. The Attack of the Mysterious Creature, Manta!

2. The Secret of the Hotel Lobby

3. The Labyrinth Hotel Delfino

4. The Secret of Casino Delfino

5. The Boss Teresa in the Basement of the Casino (Boos and Big Boos are

“teresas” in Japan.)

6. Clean Up Sirena Beach!

7. The Exquisite Imitation! Fake Mario!

8. The Red Coins in the Hotel

Mare Bay

*Note: This level is called Noki Bay in the US version of Super Mario Sunshine.

1. Aim for the Cork Plugging the Waterfall!

2. The Boss of the Mechanical Ruins

3. The Red Coins in the Bottle

4. Brushing the Teeth of the Enormous Eel

5. Monteman Race! Swim!

6. The Secret in the Shell

7. Hold it!! Fake Mario!

8. The Coinfish and the Red Coins

Monte Village

*Note: This level is called Pianta Village in the US version of Super Mario Sunshine.

1. Do something! The Three Kyankyans (This word is the Japanese sound for yip or yelp.

Onomatopoeia is often used for enemy names in Japanese games.)

2. Monteman Race! Climb!

3. Among the Flames, Where is the Mayor?

4. Take my Dog to the Bath!

5. The Secret Beneath the Village

6. Rescue the 10 Montes!

7. There's No Escape For You! Fake Mario!

8. Red Coins and the Floating Dandelion Fluff